


brittle (it burns)

by MogmaMittens, vanitaslaughing



Series: principiis obsta (et respice finem) [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, Childhood Trauma, Fire, Gen, Minor Character Death, Minor Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-26
Updated: 2019-05-26
Packaged: 2020-03-10 01:16:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18928351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MogmaMittens/pseuds/MogmaMittens, https://archiveofourown.org/users/vanitaslaughing/pseuds/vanitaslaughing
Summary: Had King Regis left her behind? Had that coward run and only saved himself and his son?Had he left them here to die, just as their mother had died—amidst the flames, with a sword tearing through their burning bodies?





	brittle (it burns)

Her hands were icy cold against his burnt skin.

It hurt.

It _hurt,_ but he couldn’t say a damned thing. Couldn’t even look at her properly as she leaned down to press their foreheads together.

Luna was strong. Luna was always strong, stronger than anyone. She had always been the one to fend off the monsters he thought were in his closet when he was younger, she always let him stay in her bed when nightmares kept him up. She always walked with her head held high, even as she slowly marched through the smoke that was clogging his lungs to drop down in front of him and put her hands on his face. His burnt face. Oh gods it _hurt._

But not a sound escaped him as Luna’s magic fizzled and flickered out, her hands shaking and tears running down her face.

Had King Regis left her behind? Had that coward run and only saved himself and his son? Had he left them here to die, just as their mother had died—amidst the flames, with a sword tearing through their burning bodies?

Only when the fires died down a little did the soldiers that had run after the nobles and the Lucian royals return. They tore Luna away from him, forced him to stand even though he wasn’t even sure if his body still remembered how to stand. Luna struggled against the soldier’s grip, hissing surprisingly angrily and demanding he let her go. Almost sobbed that she wasn’t going to run, that she only wanted to ensure her brother was okay.

The soldier that had forced him to his feet shook him. Violently, he dully registered through the haze. His body absolutely refused to answer him properly—his limbs just shook, his head lolled from side to side, but still he stood. Huh. He could still stand.

Luna freed herself and tore him out of the soldier’s grasp. There were furious tears streaming down her face as she did only as older sisters could. She slung her arms around him and made certain she was between him and those soldiers. Normally he would have tried getting out of that almost crushing embrace, would have claimed that it was embarrassing and Luna ought to act more like the heir to the throne and future Oracle that she was.

But Luna wasn’t the future Oracle any longer. She was the actual Oracle.

Because their mother was dead.

She was dead, and it was all King Regis’ fault. The man had fled rather than attempted to save all of them. The king had fled and saved himself and his son, and left the Fleurets to die. They were going to die. There was no way Niflheim was going to let them live.

Luna was dragging him along by now, tried to keep her face neutral and confident as they were escorted out of the still burning forest. She held his hand tightly as she walked, and he numbly followed where she went.

Another soldier shoved them around. He looked more important than the rest. Not as important as General Glauca, though. The same General Glauca that had impaled mother on his sword. Because she took that strike meant for him. Because King Regis had run. All because King Regis had run.

Finally, by the time they were locked into a room that wasn’t really in use, he managed to scream. He screamed, a howl of agony that had built up since he called after King Regis and pleaded for help. Help that never came. Help that only came in the form of his older sister.

His older sister who nearly jumped out of her skin when he started screaming. She slung her arms around him once more, pulled him in. Buried his face in her shoulder but still he did not stop. He continued until he ran out of breath, until his throat felt just as saw as the burn on the side of his face felt.

He had already stopped by the time someone started banging against the door and told them to shut up. He clung to Luna.

This was all King Regis’ fault. He had abandoned them. He had left them here to die.

But Ignis wasn’t going to die. Not that easily at least.

Oh no.

He was going to rain hellfire upon that man’s head. But in order to do that, Ignis needed to live.


End file.
